La Boca Gets 11 Days to Vacate | The Quinnipiac Post

A Mystic-based developer bought the historic Main Street building for $2.1 million and plans a 42-unit apartment complex. The restaurant’s 20-year bartender says he’ll fight.

Middletown Restaurant Faces Eviction After Building Sale

La Boca, a Mexican restaurant that has anchored Main Street in Middletown for roughly 15 years, was given just 11 days to vacate after a Mystic-based developer purchased the building and announced plans to convert it into a 42-unit apartment complex.

The ES Goodman Group closed on the property at 339 Main St. on Feb. 6, paying $2.1 million for the roughly 50,000-square-foot building, which dates back to 1885 and sits within the Main Street Historic District. About 12 days later, La Boca received a notice to vacate. The deadline falls at the end of February.

Gary Walker, a bartender who has worked at La Boca for more than 20 years, said the timeline blindsided the staff.

"It was kind of an unreasonable ask," Walker told WFSB. "We are a staple in the town, and a lot of people don’t want to see us go."

Walker said the restaurant requested 60 to 90 days to properly move out. "It’s a pretty big ask, because that’s moving all the equipment," he said.

A $10 Million Project Already Approved

The apartment conversion is not a new idea. The previous owner, David Marasow’s 339 Main LLC, purchased the building in 2022 for $800,000 and secured approval from the Middletown Planning & Zoning Commission to convert the upper floors into 48 apartments with ground-floor retail. That application, SPR2022-9, included La Boca as a remaining tenant.

But the project stalled. By June 2025, the Hartford Business Journal reported that Marasow was selling the building after delays to his redevelopment plans. ES Goodman, led by managing director Eric Goodman, stepped in and closed the deal in February 2026.

ES Goodman says it will "largely maintain the approved plans" but with modest adjustments — reducing the residential units from 48 to 42 and reconfiguring a commercial space for a cafe or bakery. The total project cost is estimated at $10 million. Two ground-floor retail spaces are planned.

The city has proposed an eight-year tax abatement to support the project. ES Goodman has said the conversion is "not financially viable without tax incentive support." That agreement would require approval from the Middletown Common Council.

La Boca Ready to Fight

La Boca was operating under a month-to-month lease with the prior owner, which puts it in a weaker legal position than a fixed-term lease. February rent had not been paid to the new owner as of the notice date.

But the restaurant is not going quietly.

"If we do get an eviction notice, then that’s the kind of thing we can take and fight in court," a restaurant representative told WFSB. "We can delay the process until we do figure something out."

Goodman has expressed willingness to allow La Boca to return after the project is completed, though no formal agreement is in place.

Customers have started showing up in a hurry. Liza Davis, a regular, told WFSB: "I will be so devastated if I drive by and it’s closed. When I heard the news that they could possibly be closing, I had to run down and get my favorites."

Middletown’s Downtown in Transition

ES Goodman is not new to this kind of project. The company’s portfolio includes The Standard in Mystic, a $17.3 million mixed-use development with 14 luxury condos and six retail spaces, and a similar project in Niantic with 12 condos and waterfront retail.

The 339 Main St. building was originally a YMCA and later housed Bob’s Surplus store. The upper floors have been empty since Bob’s closed. La Boca, run by co-owners Wayne Tirkot and Patrick Ganino, reopened in the ground-floor space around 2010 and became a gathering spot known for 40-plus wing flavors, 23 rotating craft beers, live music, and weekend karaoke.

No formal eviction filing has been made in court as of late February. The restaurant’s next move likely depends on whether ES Goodman pursues legal action or extends the timeline.

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